now with 100% fewer homicidal robots

[kingincognito]

Who: Joshua + anyone involved in the portal project!
What: The portal is finally ready!
When: Mid-May
Where: The center of the Grove
Warnings: idk it's portal shenanigans, I'll add warnings if we need them!

[ It's taken a couple of months, but with the combined effort of a few good brains, the portal is finally as ready as it's going to be. Calculations have been made, plans have been formed, and now all they have to do is put the sun and moon stones in place, and pray.

Literally, because it's been in his notes that faith could have some power in helping them get where they need to go. Hopefully.

Midway through the month, Joshua puts out a message through the netbooks. ]

To everyone that has helped with the portal:

Our efforts are ready to bear fruit. I would like to try activating it tomorrow. Let us meet in the center of the Grove at noon, when the sun is at its brightest.

We know not what awaits us should the portal be successful, so I would prefer to err on the side of caution. If you can fight, please come prepared to do so. Also, we will certainly need hands to relay anything we might want to bring back. If you are Corrupted, however, I am afraid I must ask you not to be involved as a matter of safety and security. My apologies.

[ And, come late morning the following day, Joshua is there, umbrella in hand to protect himself from the sunlight. He has gathered boxes and crates for any potential recovery of items, should the portal work properly, as well as basic medical supplies just in case. Small bouquets of flowers are placed around the base of the portal, in what might be a startling abundance. Better to have more than needed than not enough. ]

Comments

[YOU DIDN'T THINK THERE WOULDN'T BE CONSEQUENCES, DID YOU?] CW: Death

[sticksandbonesmods]

... Which is to say, that as the excitement of the library becoming accessible dies down and people trickle back through the portal one by one, a grizzly sight awaits you: Vash and Dion both lay in the would-be plaza, bleeding out. They've long gone cold, and the tinge of black on the wounds makes it clear:

The Forest did this. How dare you take what was his.

[eidxiety]

[welp

time for ain's next mental breakdown, goodbye]

[lilyberation]

( BABY BOY NOOOOO )

[kingincognito]

[ Joshua's day had been going so well.

He freezes, eyes locked on the limp and bloodied bodies on the ground. He doesn't recognize one, but oh, the other. He's seen the man bloody and unconscious before, but this is different. This feels different. There is no rise and fall to that chest, the skin looks so pale, and the blood--

His heart feels torn from his chest, a gaping hole there aching impossibly. It takes a moment for his voice to work, but once it does, it kicks the rest of him into gear, too. Joshua steps from his spot, quickly closing the distance and falling hard to his knees. But the pain is of no consequence. ]

Dion!

[ His voice breaks as he speaks the name, repeating it two more times, each more frantic than the last. Hands move over the body before him, but it's very clear what has happened. The black markings leave no questions.

Retaliation. That's what this is. ]

No... No--

[lilyberation]

( lily had been clinging to shadow milk the whole time- and then they leave and two wonderful men lay dead. she stares in shock before joshua's voice rips her from her own thoughts- oh. oh, joshua... if she'd been mourning twice, now he is too- fresher still, with dion.

she immediately flutters over to him, small arms wrapping around his chest. )

I'm so sorry.

[kingincognito]

[ Joshua's breath hitches at the touch, muscles tensing, but he at least realizes quickly enough that it's a comforting gesture. Those muscles remain tense despite the fact, and he sucks in a sharp, hiccuping breath, but otherwise says nothing.

He can't even see the body before him for the tears abruptly blurring his eyes. ]

[lilyberation]

( lily practically wraps around him, petting his hair gently. )

We'll see them soon, I pray.

( which she doesn't do. not anymore. ... he can't possibly know that, but its still said with weight. )

[kingincognito]

[ It's the petting that makes him crack, just a little. Joshua sobs out a quick exhale of breath and anguished sound, though that's all he will allow himself. The tears still fall freely, but now is not the time for falling apart. That's for later, when he's alone. Right now, something needs to be done. ]

What...

[ He pauses, taking a breath, and tries again. ]

What should we do with their bodies? We cannot leave them here.

[lilyberation]

The Garden should claim them soon. But- I do not know... how long they will take to come back.

( they won't.

she continues to stay beside him, holding him- )

I'm so sorry, Joshua.

[kingincognito]

[ The Garden. Joshua sucks in a steadying breath that isn't as steadying as he'd hoped, lifting a hand to scrub the heel of it against his eyes. When Clive had died, his sword had been left behind. He doesn't know if that is the case every time or not, but... ]

It's... it's all right. It will be all right.

[ He lets his hands caress Dion's face one last time, rubbing his thumbs over the man's cheekbones and biting his tongue to keep from being overwhelmed. He takes in everything, the expression on his face, letting his thumbs brush over pale lips, and then moves to remove the lance from the dragoon's hand.

The earrings are also removed from his ears, just in case. They're of importance - he doesn't want to risk losing them. ]

I will hold these until he returns.